Mamata for early Assembly polls in Bengal

New Delhi, May 17, 2009

LTTE chief Prabhakaran is dead, claims Lankan army

New Delhi: Sources in the Sri Lankan army have claimed that Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) chief V Prabhakaran has been killed. According to a news channel report, Prabhakaran's body has been recovered and is being taken to an army camp in Colombo. Sources also added that army has recovered over 150 bodies of LTTE cadres. According to reports all civilians held hostage by the LTTE have now been freed from the battle zone. The report comes as Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa announced his military's victory over the LTTE. "I am proud to announce... that my government with the total commitment of our armed forces, has in an unprecedented humanitarian operation, finally defeated the LTTE militarily," he said. Moreover, 70 rebels were killed in a confrontation with troops early Sunday morning. Troops confronted the LTTE fighters, who tried to escape from the Nandikadal lagoon in the north east part of the country, killing 70 Tiger rebels. Six LTTE boats were also destroyed in the operation and the bodies of those killed were subsequently found. As many as 24,988 Tamil civilians have crossed over from the LTTE areas to the governments controlled ones since May 14 and are camping in welfare camps, the Army said.

Congress core group meets to discuss Govt formation Top

New Delhi: The Congress core group met on Sunday to discuss the political situation and issues related to government formation. The strategy meeting was held to discuss whether to take on board independents or parties of the Fourth Front like the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal to form the next government. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Union Defence Minister A. K. Antony were present during the meeting. Another meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) is scheduled to take stock of the situation following the poll results. The sources said that after the CWC meeting, Congress leadership would hold discussions with the allies to finalize the details of government formation.

RJD will join next UPA Govt: Lalu Prasad Top

Patna: Hours later United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi called up Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad to ask him attend the Cabinet meet, the Railways Minister said his party was ready to join the Congress-led Government at the Centre. Lalu has not been attending cabinet meetings ever since he forged an alliance with the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP). On Saturday, Lalu admitted that not contesting the elections in alliance with the Congress was a big mistake. “Not fighting the elections with the Congress was a big mistake. It led to division of secular votes. The votes which went to the Congress in Bihar were wasted,” he said. RJD won just four seats this time compared to 22 in the 2004.

DMK wants 7 Cabinet berths in the new UPA Govt Top

Chennai: Having played a key role in ensuring a United Progressive Alliance’s success in Tamil Nadu, the M Karunanidhi-led Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam is likely to ask seven cabinet berths in the new set up of government at the Centre. The DMK wants to retain Surface Transport and IT ministry, among others, a Times Now report quoted sources as saying. DMK sources had earlier stated that they were eyeing cabinet posts for Kanimozhi, Maran and Azhagiri. Sources said that DMK chief and chief minister of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi would visit the national capital on Monday (May 18) to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi over the matter. Putting up a strong showing, the UPA constituents DMK and Congress were racing to capture a lion's share of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu. "I give credit to the DMK government in Tamil Nadu. The mandate is clear," said Maran, former Communication and IT Minister. MK Azhagiri, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's son, registered success from the Madurai Lok Sabha seat trouncing CPI-M's P Mohan by a margin of over 140,000 votes.

Lok Sabha will have a full budget session, no Monsoon session Top

New Delhi: The newly-elected Lok Sabha to be constituted after the elections is all set to have a full budget session in June which will last till August, but it will have no monsoon session this year. President Pratibha Devisingh Patil will make the customary address to the first and brief joint session of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, marking the beginning of the new House, said Lok Sabha Secretary General PDT Achary to media persons in the capital on Saturday. "If the new session starts in the first week of June after the brief session (for members to take oath), then the full Budget session will go on till August. So, there will be no monsoon session," Achary said. Achary said that a separate monsoon session, which generally starts in mid-July and goes on till August, might not be conducted this year. He said during the first two days of the constitution of new Lok Sabha, the newly-elected members would be administered oath of office by a pro-tem Speaker who would be the senior most among the MPs followed by election of the Speaker. Achary said the Lok Sabha Secretariat had made extensive arrangements to render all possible assistance, including accommodation to the newly elected MPs so that they do not face inconvenience on arrival in New Delhi.

Veteran filmmaker Prakash Mehra passes away Top

Mumbai: Legendary Bollywood producer-director Prakash Mehra passed away in a hospital in Mumbai on Sunday, after prolonged illness. The 69-year-old Mehra, who was in hospital for last several days, breathed his last at 7. 50 a.m. He died of pneumonia and multiple organ failure. He will be cremated at the Juhu crematorium. He had begun his career as a production controller in the late 50s and turned director with the musical super hit Haseena Man Jaayegi (1968) starring Shashi Kapoor. With his Zanjeer (1973) Mehra''s association began with Amitabh Bachchan and together they went on to make seven films, most notable of them being Hera Pheri (1976), Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), Laawaris (1981), Namak Halal (1982) and of course Sharaabi (1984). However their last film together Jaadugar (1989) was a box office disaster. His last directed film Bal Brahmachari (1996) was the launch pad for eccentric actor Raaj Kumar''s son Puru Raajkumar. His last produced film was the Rekha starrer Mujhe Meri Biwi Se Bachao (2001). He had received a lifetime achievement award from the India Motion Picture Directors Association (IMPDA) in 2006. He had also received Lifetime Achievement as Producer from IMPAA on September 19, 2008.

Mamata wants early Assembly polls in Bengal Top

Kolkata: Having registered a thumping victory in the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal , the Trinamool Congress chief Mamta Banerjee on Saturday demanded an early Assembly elections in the State. Mamta says the latest election results show that people of the State do not have any confidence in Communist Party of India (Marxist) led front here. Expressing gratitude to people for their support, Mamta said that she salutes them for the way they fought against CPI-M terror and exercised their franchise. She dedicated her party's victory to the people. Meanwhile, West Bengal Congress chief Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday said the alliance between the Trinamool Congress and Congress paid dividends with the people positively responding to it. But Pranab refused to view the LS election results as an expression of people's "no confidence" on the ruling Left Front government. "This is not an Assembly election, but Lok Sabha poll. I am not saying the results showed people's no-confidence on the LF government." Talking about the TMC and Congress alliance in the LS elections, Pranab said that people of the state wanted the alliance for the Lok Sabha polls and they responded positively to "our fight in the election together." On the verge of his convincing win in Jangipur constituency for the second time in a row, Mukherjee said, "We formed this alliance to honour people's expectations. People have positively responded to it."

EC to submit list of new MPs to Patil on Monday Top

New Delhi: A three-member Election Commission (EC) team headed by Navin Chawla will formally submit the list of newly-elected Lok Sabha members to President Pratibha Patil on Monday. The new House is constituted by the Election Commission, which does that job within two to three days after the results are declared. A Rashtrapati Bhavan official said the three-member commission would call President Patil at 6 p.m. on Monday. President Patil will make the customary address to the first and brief joint session of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, marking the beginning of the new House. During the first two days of the Constitution of new Lok Sabha, the newly-elected members would be administered oath of office by a pro-tem Speaker who would be the senior most among the MPs followed by election of the Speaker.

Azam Khan resigns from SP parliamentary board Top

Lucknow: Controversial Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan on Sunday resigned from the post of General Secretary and the membership of the party's parliamentary board. Azam Khan, after his resignation, blamed former BJP leader and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Kalyan Singh being the main reason for Samajwadi Party's defeat in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Khan attracted a lot of ignominy for SP following his alleged anti-Jayaprada campaigning despite SP chief's requests not to do so. He was also involved in verbal-fight with Amar Singh. SP leader Jaya Prada, contesting from Azamgarh constituency, had blamed Khan distributing obscene CDs against to defame her during elections. Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party's strategy conducted a meet in the national capital on Sunday. It is believed that the party discussed the issue of offering its support to the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre. SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav arrived here on Sunday at the party headquarters for the all-important meet. Meanwhile, Amar Singh in a news conference on Sunday noon, said: "Despite an all out attack from all sides, we emerged as the biggest force with 26 seats in Uttar Pradesh for which we express our gratefulness to the people of the State.We are committed to secular politics."

Obama congratulates India for successful conduct of election Top

Washington: US President Barack Obama has congratulated India on successful conduct of its "historic" national elections and looks forward to continue working with the India Government to strengthen partnership between two countries. President Obama said, "He looks forward to continue working with the Indian government to enhance the "warm partnership" between the two countries. "By successfully completing the largest exercise of popular voting in the world, the elections have strengthened India 's vibrant democracy and upheld the values of freedom and pluralism that make India an example for us all," he said. "While the world awaits the formation of a new government in India based on the elections result, the United States recognizes the significance of the election for the people of India , who remain the strength and foundation for India 's prosperity and democracy," he added The Congress led- UPA has won 261 seats. The NDA on the other hand has won 157. The Third Front has won 58 seats. The fourth front comprising Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has won 27. The Bahujan Samaj party (BSP) has won 21. While other parties has won 18 seats.

Go To Top